This invention relates generally to footwear, and more particularly pertains to a pocket formed within or appended to the gusset or tongue of a shoe, and having utility for temporary storage of personal items during shoe usage, as when employed during sporting events, jogging, or the like.
One problem that repeatedly confronts the athlete, and particularly the modern sportsman who actively participates in golf, tennis, jogging, or the like, or even when partaking in various sports, such as hunting and fishing, is the ability to securely locate personal items in the category of tees, some loose change, money, and the like. Various means were earlier employed for assuring the safety of one's personal items, but particularly were designed for usage when some significant amounts of money were involved. For example, in the early United States patent to Diemer, U.S. Pat. No. 654,388, upon a shoe, means for securing valuable items concealingly within the calf portion of the shoe, and more specifically upon its internal portion that rest against the leg, was given consideration. Thus, the shown embodiment provided means for securing ones valuables such as money, and in addition to furnishing concealment of the same in the event that one was personally accosted, as by a theft. Various other forms of similar type pocket structures were used in association particularly with boots, as are also shown in the earlier United States patents to Wirsching, U.S. Pat. No. 1,289,341, McAuslin, U.S. Pat. No. 1,100,758, in addition to the patent to Avis, U.S. Pat. No. 1,342,149.
More contemporary inventors have given thought to various types of structure for forming pocket structures within shoes and boots, and such is shown in the United States patent to Corley, U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,082. In addition, the concept of adding decorativeness to the shoe through the addition of a purse or the like, as by attaching the same upon the frontal shoe upper, is shown in the United States patent to Bliese, U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,570, but the additional structure to form the purse as shown in this patent was integrally constructed into the vamp of the shoe itself, and therefore, made it difficult to insert and keys, money, or the like therein, and furthermore, when such objects of some hardness were located therein, would certainly constantly maintain pressure upon the foot of the wearer. The United States patent to Solomon, U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,700, shows another means for adding some decoration to a shoe through the addition of a purse, or the like. Furthermore, the adding of a holding means having some utility to the shoe, as by securing the same through its laces to the shoe, is shown in the golf tee holder as devised by Perry in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,662,677. Similar type devices are currently available upon the market. All of the foregoing embodiments have utility for holding some component of personal item, such as money, in a concealed fashion upon its wearer, while the current invention, to the contrary, intends to provide a pocket portion that can be built structurally and foldably onto the gusset or tongue of the footwear, so as to hold smaller personal items such as keys and money, while further incorporating, in its construction, various means for assuring the retention of the pocket portion onto and contiguously with the shoe upper portion, at the location of its lacings, so as to prevent the untimely loss of such items.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a pocket portion that is structurally built foldably onto the gusset or tongue portion of footwear, whether it be tennis shoes, jogging shoes, golf shoes, hunting shoes, work shoes, or standard dress shoes, and which incorporates closure means for the pocket portion so as to assure that personal items contained therein will not be inadvertently lost by the wearer.
Another object of this invention is to provide a pocket portion that is integrally structured foldably connected onto the tongue portion of the shoe gusset, and which can assure the safety of items enclosed therein, while at the same time enhancing the attractiveness of the footwear.
Another object of this invention is to provide fastening and securing means that snugly hold the pocket portion contiguously against the upper portion of the shoe particularly at the location of its lacing.
A further object of this invention is to provide a footwear pocket, conveniently built appending onto the structure of the shoe, and which incorporates an opening or slot into which personal items may be quickly inserted, for safety and storage, but which items do not exert any pressure or bind onto the wearer's foot during footwear usage.
Another object of this invention is to provide a shoe pocket integrally formed into the structure of the shoe and which can be conveniently and promptly installed during a stage of shoe assembly.
A further object of this invention is to provide resilient means within the structure of a shoe or footwear pocket that enhances the formation of the said pocket portion and for its locating contiguously against the upper part of the said shoe.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a pocket portion for a shoe and which contains supplemental strap means that may hold golf tees, or the like, to facilitate their usage.
These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment in view of the drawings.